What to Eat for Low Blood Sugar: Best Fast-Acting Snacks from a Diabetes Dietitian

This post is sponsored by Nature Nate’s Honey Co. All thoughts and ideas are my own. 

When your blood sugar drops below 70 mg/dL, eat about 15 grams of a fast-acting carb, like 4 ounces of juice, 1 tablespoon of honey or 3 to 4 glucose tablets. Then wait 15 minutes and recheck. Skip foods with a lot of fat or protein until you’re back in range, since they slow everything down.

I’ve lived with type 1 diabetes for 30+ years and I’m a registered dietitian. Below are the best snacks for low blood sugar to keep at home, in the car and in your bag, plus what to do for kids, pregnancy and reactive hypoglycemia.

Hypoglycemia Means Blood Sugar Below 70 mg/dL

Most healthcare professionals define hypoglycemia as a blood glucose value less than 70 mg/dL. But you should absolutely talk with your own healthcare team about when they want you to treat a low blood sugar. Your doctor may recommend treating at a different number depending on your lifestyle, medications, pregnancy status, or other factors.

If you live with diabetes and are prone to lows, it’s important to know your own personal treatment plan and always have snacks for low blood sugar nearby.

Untreated Hypoglycemia Can Become an Emergency

If left untreated, hypoglycemia can lead to loss of consciousness, seizures, and even death. That’s why having the best snacks for low blood sugar with you matters so much.

Rapid-Acting Carbs Are the Best Thing to Eat for Low Blood Sugar

The best food for a low blood sugar is something called a rapid-acting carbohydrate.

That means a food or drink that:

• Raises blood sugar quickly
• Is easy to consume
• Does not have much fat or protein

Fat and protein can slow down digestion, which is usually helpful for blood sugar balance, but not when your blood sugar is low and needs to come up quickly.

How to Treat Hypoglycemia During Pregnancy

For people without diabetes, hypoglycemia during pregnancy is rare, but it can happen.

For people with diabetes, hypoglycemia is often more common during pregnancy. One study showed that about 23% of women with type 1 diabetes experience a severe episode of hypoglycemia during pregnancy. Severe hypoglycemia means blood sugar drops so low that a person may nearly lose consciousness or need help from someone else to treat it.

Hypoglycemia should generally be treated the same way during pregnancy as it is otherwise, but it’s important to talk with your OB/GYN and diabetes care team about best practices for prevention and treatment.

Best Snacks for Low Blood Sugar

Here are my top 5 favorite ways to treat a low blood sugar. I’ve had enough glucose tablets in my lifetime to know I would gladly help people avoid that chalky experience whenever possible.

1. Honey

1 tablespoon honey is one of my favorite options because it’s easy to swallow quickly and raises blood sugar fast.

2. Unsweetened Applesauce

1/3 to 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce is another great choice, especially for kids or for people who have trouble chewing when they’re low.

3. Raisins

1/4 cup raisins works well as a shelf-stable option you can keep in a bag, desk, or glove compartment.

4. Apple Juice or Grape Juice

4 to 6 fluid ounces of juice is a classic low blood sugar treatment because it works quickly and is easy to find.

5. Fat Free Candies

Fat free candies can also work well because they provide fast-acting carbohydrate without fat slowing things down.

Portable Snacks for Hypoglycemia

If you need something easy to throw in a purse, backpack, lunchbox, or car, these are my top 3 portable snacks for hypoglycemia:

• Nature Nate’s Honey Co. Honey Minis
• Fruit snacks
• Applesauce pouches

These are easy to carry, easy to use, and much more convenient than trying to track down juice in the middle of a low.

Best Snacks for Hypoglycemia in Kids

When it comes to low blood sugar snacks for kids, the best option is usually something that’s easy to eat or drink quickly and doesn’t take a lot of effort.

My top picks include:

• Nature Nate’s Honey Co. Honey Minis
• Applesauce pouches
• Juice boxes

These are simple, familiar, and easy for kids to use when they need help treating a low blood sugar.

FAQs About Snacks for Low Blood Sugar

Honey, Juice and Applesauce Top the List

The best snack for low blood sugar is a rapid-acting carbohydrate that raises blood sugar quickly and is easy to consume. Good options include honey, juice, applesauce, raisins, and fat free candies.

Treat Lows with Fast Carbs First

People with diabetes should treat low blood sugar with fast-acting carbs rather than foods with a lot of fat or protein. Fat and protein slow digestion, which makes them less helpful in the moment.

Start with 15 Grams of Carbs, Then Recheck

Many people start with 15 grams of carbohydrate, then recheck blood sugar after 15 minutes. But treatment needs can vary, so it’s important to follow the plan you’ve created with your healthcare team. If your lows tend to happen overnight, a balanced snack before bed can help, and these are my favorite bedtime snacks for diabetes.

Fruit Snacks Work Well as a Portable Option

Fruit snacks can work well as a portable low blood sugar snack, especially when you need something shelf-stable and easy to carry.

Peanut Butter Is Too Slow to Treat a Low

Peanut butter on its own is not a good pick here. It contains fat and protein, which slow digestion, so it’s less effective for quickly raising blood sugar during a hypoglycemic episode.

Kids Do Best with Quick, Familiar Snacks

The best low blood sugar snacks for kids are usually quick, easy to eat, and familiar, like honey pouches, applesauce pouches, and juice boxes.

People Without Diabetes Can Get Low Blood Sugar Too

Some people without diabetes can experience reactive hypoglycemia or other types of low blood sugar. If that happens regularly, it’s a good idea to talk with your doctor.